Numbers Game

Shane Battier is intrigued. "I think it's compelling. And it's real. I think it's very valid. And I think it's the future. " The veteran Miami Heat swingman, however, is not all consumed. "I haven't jumped into them yet. " The subject is the player-tracking data being compiled and made public by the NBA at its website, statistics such as the distance traveled by players in games, the average rate of speed of each player, the amount of touches of each player, as well as breakdowns of shooting, rebounding, passing and defending heretofore never offered in such detail.

August 22, 2014 Q: Like you point out, fewer than 10 players will get meaningful minutes during the season and only 13 can suit up for a game. With up to 20 candidates before the final cut to 15, some very difficult decisions have to be made on who to keep. Twenty-nine other teams will be vying to be the last one standing, so this year's Heat squad will be about the blood, sweat and tears each member brings to each game during the season. Seeing Dwyane Wade exhibiting true leadership is a great first step.

It all began for Chris Bosh near the end of the regular-season finale in 2009. Bosh, then with the Toronto Raptors, needed 19 rebounds so he would average a double-double for the season. With the Raptors out of the playoffs and nothing at stake, he played 42 minutes just so he could feel good about himself. Bosh met the quota but something was missing. "I got the 19 [rebounds] but nothing happened," Bosh said. "It was just a number and I was still going home. That's when things kind of clicked for me and I just wanted more.

Shane Battier is intrigued. "I think it's compelling. And it's real. I think it's very valid. And I think it's the future. " The veteran Miami Heat swingman, however, is not all consumed. "I haven't jumped into them yet. " The subject is the player-tracking data being compiled and made public by the NBA at its website, statistics such as the distance traveled by players in games, the average rate of speed of each player, the amount of touches of each player, as well as breakdowns of shooting, rebounding, passing and defending heretofore never offered in such detail.

Ranging from who should be covered to how its claims should be paid, lawmakers face a herculean task in reforming Citizens Property Insurance Corp. The company is the country's ninth-largest home insurer, but Citizens is different from the other insurers in the top 10. Its risk is concentrated all in one state. Backed by Florida taxpayers that makes both financing its risk and raising cash to cover its claims complex undertakings. When the 2013 legislative session gets underway next week in Tallahassee, the Senate Banking and Insurance committee will continue to tackle an ambitious draft bill first introduced in January.

Police say Reynold Dorsonne ran an illegal lottery out of his pick-up truck. The 61-year-old Delray Beach man now stands charged with offering patrons the chance to play "bolita," a popular Cuban numbers game, according to a Delray Beach Police report. Officers discovered Dorsonne's operation just after 9 p.m. Feb. 8, when they saw a Mazda pick-up truck parked in the middle of Southwest 3rd Avenue. The truck blocked the flow of traffic. The officers pulled up to the truck in an unmarked patrol car and asked Dorsonne what he was doing.

A lot of people have wondered about rookie running back Lamar Miller being inactive last week. Dolphins coach Joe Philbin gave an official answer Wednesday; I'll try to read between the lines. For those who want to get the bottom line right away, here it is: it's tough to justify carrying Miller on the 46-man gameday active roster because his role can be filled by more valuable players. That's even considering Miller, the University of Miami alum, has 145 yards on 27 carries, an average of 5.4 yards per carry.

- Projecting an NFL team's 53-man roster isn't calculus. It has more to do with chemistry, because the process involves finding the right balance between offense and defense, linemen and linebackers, tailbacks and tight ends. It is a balancing act, one that must weigh experience versus youth, and calculate expensive players versus bargains. The Miami Dolphins made nine cuts the morning after Friday night's embarrassing 23-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but three more players must be released or placed on injured reserve by Monday evening.

'Progress' is a big word Re "Lot more progress needed in D.C.," June 6 editorial: Progress combines the maintenance of clear focus with a forward, driven sense of direction. It is an action fueled by unity and measured by the footprints of advancement; a refurbishment of lethargy, a cousin to vitality and an offspring to achievement. Does not protest inequality, but respects the disparity that composes the human race and condition without presence of imposition. While encouraging individual freedoms, it is the heartbeat to the betterment of the people it represents, and a synonym for this great nation.